


Star Foam

by orphan_account



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Gen, Minor Canonical Character(s), Multi, POV Multiple, Plot Twists, Post-Canon, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-03-31 03:18:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3962425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the heroes stepped down the stage, fairy tales were finished. For Haruno Sakura, the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War was merely a start of nightmares. Her Uchiha teammate had returned as a dictator, making Konoha a living hell, driving everyone away from their home village...  Life outside the wall was complex, especially when the older generation was involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Silver Lining

**Author's Note:**

> ~For your consideration~  
> # AU, major plot twist, post-war, Madara/Sakura pairing, minor canonical characters.  
> # Far Eastern mythology element, supernatural element, buddhism element.  
> # The text is unbetaed, written by a student whose mother tongue is not English... o~o  
> # Story mainly focus on character growth.  
> # There are numerous beautifully-written SasuSaku and Naruto-centric fics in AO3. So I make Haruno Sakura my heroine, who will be the centerpiece of this story, while Naruto and Sasuke playing minor roles.
> 
> Please enjoy reading~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world Haruno Sakura once knew had fallen apart, and there was simply no time for her to be cynical.  
> ...  
> "I will leave, and I'll show you how wrong you are, Uchiha Sasuke."  
> ...  
> "He is Madara, my insane ancestor who wants to conquer the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic, hope you enjoy it. :)

Theme Song: Legenden - Mantus

* * *

There was only one white cloud wandering in the windy sky.

It was already mid-autumn when Sakura finally returned from her infiltration mission in the Land of Field. Perching on a tall oak near the border between Fire and Field, Sakura grimaced behind her porcelain mask. No, the two-month-long assignment wasn't funny at all. Lurking in one of Orochimaru's base was not an easy job, with so much desperation clouded the space. To make it worse, Sakura simply knew the experiments could not be saved. Thus, the only thing she needed to do after returning to Konoha was to write a dull, time-wasting report and then hand it to the Hokage.

Sakura didn't think the current Hokage was unaware of the fact he had ordered one of the best shinobi in the village to do a meaningless mission. The fact that the Rukodaime used to be an apprentice to the Snake Sannin was a secret known to all, though no one dared to say that in public. _He is a snake as well._ She thought in slightly disgust.

A tickling feeling on her left earlobe made her stiffen. Emerald eyes narrowed slightly. _This feeling again_ , Sakura let out an exasperated hiss. Not long after she turned sixteen, she had started to feel like she was being watched. She had brushed it away the first time it surfaced, ignored it the second time it kicked in. But after enough sleepless nights, she could no longer shove the idea out of her mind.

_Being a shinobi isn't that bad, right? Most of us are killers, but we also protect and save. I take away lives for countless innocents. Surely I am not evil enough to be haunted by ghosts._

The kunoichi ran a hand through her short candyfloss hair. Sighing softly, she jumped down and launched forward from a leafless branch.

Within seconds, the tiger-masked ANBU disappeared.

* * *

Shortly after gloaming, the great wall that protected her home village came into sight. Izumo and Kotetsu were nowhere to been seen, and she couldn't feel the any patrolling squad within two miles.

The Hokage must have withdrawn force again, regardless of the safety of those civilian behind the wall. The kunoichi's face grew even grimmer and her lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval.

Leaving such an opening was deplorable, utterly unacceptable. That was why her ANBU team always patrolled around Konoha when they were at home. However, the Hokage had decided to split up the most efficient ANBU squad and send them to lengthy solo missions.

She leapt into the air and landed effortlessly on top of the high wall. Her earlobe tingled again, but she ignored it and took off her porcelain mask. It was a moonless night; the entire village was wrapped in the darkness. The civilian blocks were empty—those who left were either too stubborn or too weak to flee.

 _Konoha is no longer the strongest village in shinobi world._ Sakura ground her teeth. Even Orochimaru's was livelier than this ghost town, not to mention Kirigakure, where Terumī Mei, the kind beautiful Godaime Mizukage, had done a great job of ending the dreadful reign of Yagura and reforming its internal policies.

She put on her mask again and jumped off the boundary wall, landing on the empty street inside Konoha. Her light footsteps melted into the chilling wind as she made her way to ANBU headquarter.

After turning around the corner, Sakura spotted a dilapidated two-storage bakery. The kanji of Odaya were barely recognizable on the weathered wooden sign. Her chest tightened in pain — the building was the place she used to call home.

The civilian couple adopted her were not model parents, but they cared for her, loved her with all their hearts. Their family bakery had been on the first floor, leaving the second floor as their living quarter. Even since she became a kunoichi, Sakura would spend an entire Sunday afternoon helping mother Akira running the bakery, while father Kunimitsu doing weekly scans through bills and paychecks in his study. Thus she seldom took lengthy mission outside Konoha, not until the day she returned home after months of nightmares and bloodshed, only to find the bakery was closed permanently. A notice nearby read that the Oda's were killed during an attack.

The petal-haired ANBU blinked away her tears and whispered a silent prayer to the two civilians and many neighbors she knew. _War is an utterly waste of lives,_ she thought darkly, _then why did someone bend on making the world hell after that?_

Noticing the unpleasant direction of her thoughts, Sakura tsked and turned away. Her black cloak parted as she strode down the street, revealing a silver-white vest that was part of ANBU gears. She would check the HQ to see if Kakashi-taichou was in the village.

The world Haruno Sakura once knew had fallen apart, and there was simply no time for her to be cynical.

* * *

  _This feeling again._

Lying with her usual outfit on, Sakura scowled. Her earlobe constantly tingled, feeding her overstrained brain the sensation of  _being watched_ for two whole days. The only time it ceased was during her sparring session with Shikamaru and Neji in Nara forest.

Three more days like this, and then I will snap and strangle someone. Irritated, the petal-haired kunoichi forced herself to stare at the off-white ceiling of her apartment. Inhale, hold, count to ten, exhale. She repeated it for several times; when Sakura was relatively calm, she began to analyze her feelings.

It was a warning, Sakura told herself. Something would happen — she could even smell the anticipation. To be honest, last time her gut instinct screamed, her village had lost its beloved leader.

Four years had passed since the day her Tsunade-shishou proudly declared that she had nothing left to teach her protégé, and then poisoned the said girl with sake. Things had changed so dramatically. Now she was a Konoha ANBU, going on S-classed missions with Shikamaru, Neji and her ex-sensei. Even Naruto, who used to be the number one knuckle-headed troublemaker in Fire, had become mature enough to go on high-ranked solo missions all by himself.

But power wouldn't come without cost - the fourth  Fourth Shinobi World War had revealed the harsh side of the world. Thousands of shinobi struggled and died with each other for the sake of the world, all because of a psycho, namely Uchiha Obito, bent on casting a world-wide genjutsu. And Naruto, being the host of Nine-Tails, encountered Obito in a vicious battle with the aid of Five Kages. In the meantime, Sakura danced on the battle field, saving countless allies and bringing destruction to Obito's White Zetsu Army. In the end, Obito was defeated, the nine tailed beasts became dormant, and peace was dawning.

However, the Allied Shinobi Forces didn't last long. Shortly after the ultimate threats were abolished, the Force fell apart. Each and every village sought for their own good, hoarding every ounce of resource desperately in order to strengthen themselves, regardless of the fact they once struggled together.

Mildly disoriented, Sakura stared at the Medic Oath engraved on her wall, trying to clear her mind. "First clause: No medical-nin shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end." The kunoichi read the first rule aloud. How pathetic, in this ruthless world, how many people still cared about other?

 _Oh, leave it be!_ The more rational side of her screamed, _you're getting too emotional. No matter how hard life is, at least you are alive and kicking._ Sakura knew, deep down inside, she still believed in human nature. But living in such a cold world, she was now perching on the edge of losing hope.

The kunoichi recalled the large grin Naruto sported yesterday. It was as wide and carefree as the one he wore years before the war started. But Sakura knew that, for Naruto, smiling had become a mask to hide his sorrow. Seldom did they see each other now, but she couldn't blame the blond, for they reminded each other how much pain they had suffered. Surely they need space to cure those emotional scares... Ever since Sasuke came back to Konoha they rarely talked to each other. Oh yes, the Uchiha Sasuke came home on his own will after the grand funeral for Tsunade-shishou and many other Konoha shinobi… With a redhead kunoichi and a month-old infant.

When the entire world was struggling, Sasuke was busy fulfilling his second goal in life: making Uchiha babies. Snickering, the petal-haired kunoichi sat up on her bed. _Compromising a whore is such a great thing; surely it won't bring shame to his family._

Sighing, Sakura combed her candyfloss with her fingers, the fine texture of those pink strands reminded her of school years, when skirts and girl talks were the center of her life. Now she preferred to keep her hair short, even Ino's constant bugging couldn't change her mind. _Long hair and pretty accessories are for good shinobi._ She reminded herself.

Perhaps her medical skills had surpassed Tsunade, but there were always bigger fish in the world of shinobi. The tailed beasts were gone now, but what would happen if they return? Would they remember their promise to make peace with human beings? Would the tailed beasts fall into the wrong hands? There was no answer to her questions. But one thing was for sure: without enough prowess, she would be merely a little medical-nin when changes took place.

The kunoichi looked up to the crest moon high up in the heaven. It was almost midnight. According to the mission roaster in ANBU HQ, Kakashi would be back tomorrow. She should be feeling good, knowing there would be a team reunion soon, but her good mood was spoiled by that tickling sensation again. This time, she could even feel someone _breathing down her neck._

Sneering inwardly, Sakura shot up from her bed, grabbing her weapon pouch as she strolled to the other side of the room. She jumped out of her bedroom window soundlessly, and then headed the fifth training ground which was located at the outskirt of the village.

She needed to punch something, consequences be damned.

* * *

 After tearing the entire training ground up-side-down, Sakura felt decidedly better. But still, she was restless, that was the reason she was patrolling outside the boundary wall at three o'clock in the morning.

The kunoichi halted as a thunder roaring on the distant horizon. Panting softly, she tilted her head to the east. The night wind was soft and gently, and she could smell rain in the moisture-laden air.

_Drip, drip, drip..._

A shower started. Within seconds, single raindrops turned to a hanging waterfall, pouring down all over a very annoyed Haruno Sakura.

"This is just great!" The kunoichi hissed in exasperation, "Investigating under Orochimaru's nose, suffering from phantom pain, and now, being caught in a shower!"

She dropped to the ground level and sat on a pile of fallen leaves, brown and withered. Her short locks and kunoichi outfit were now soaking wet. _If a lightning stoke down now, I will be roasted._  She mused as the trees groaned and shivered, fixing her bright emerald orbs at a distant spot on the horizon.

A blazing light, then the dark clouds were torn apart. Heaven's roars were like the battle cries of Ten-Tails. Sakura shuddered. The weather now was so much alike to the night Tsunade passed away and left Konoha behind.

Before Sakura could suffer from hypothermia, the faint smell of smoke alarmed her. _Oh, kami-sama, what's happening now?_ Alerted, the kunoichi jumped up and dashed back to her village.

* * *

 Sakura's instinct toward danger proved to be painfully reliable — her village was on fire.

It was obvious that Konoha was under attacked. Inside the high boundary wall, raging flames ate through wooden houses and allies, leaving ashes and burnt material in its wake. Sakura leaped into air, scanning other parts of the village to see if _any_ expedient was taken. But no, no shinobi was out. _Where the hell are the _chūnin_ squads? Sasuke should have someone put off the fire!_

As she began to fall, a hooded figure came into sight. Eyes flashing dangerously, the petal-haired kunoichi pulled out a kunai from its holster, effortlessly blocked all the shurikens thrown at her, and then tossed her kunai to the intruder.

_Thump._

Her kunai had missed, but Sakura didn't expect it give the intruder even a minor cut.

In the blink of an eye, she landed on a pound of water, crouching down like a feline ready to strike. "Who are you? Why are you attacking Konohagakure?!" She demanded, eyes fixing on the shinobi's forehead protector. The wave-like insignia on it was slashed. _A Kiri missingnin._

A kunai aiming at her neck was the reply. She dodged it with ease, only to find a sword directed to her shoulder.

The intruder slashed his sword through the kunoichi, removing her left arm from her torso. The petite figure collapsed to the muddy ground. Just then, he noticed the anomaly: no blood was coming out. He gasped and spun on his heel.

"Shanaro!" Sakura burst out from the pound her previously crouched on, giving the man a solid punch before he could react. The chakra she sent into his system would damage his tissues instantly.

 _A dead enemy is not an immediate threat._ The petal-haired tsked as the missing-nin crashed into a nearby tree and broke it into two parts. She snapped her fingers to dispel her water clone before turning to the burning district.

Emerald eyes gazed over the fire, one of the brightest minds in Konoha began forming several plans on putting off the fire _and_ persuading Rukodaime to spare some found for reconstruction. Then she sensed them, several approaching chakra signatures that where disturbingly familiar to her. _If shishou is still in charge of Konoha... there won't be any invasion like this._ She thought grimly.

"Haruno Sakura, what are you doing here?" The Rukodaime Hokage strolled towards the kunoichi. Spruce and well dressed, his appearance was a stark contrast to Sakura's condition, which was no better than a drowned rat.

"Sasuke," The petal-haired wiped her face in an attempt to brush away the cold rain water. "Why don't you do something about the fire?!"

"I did," Wrapped in the white haori, Uchiha Sasuke replied coldly, "And you shall call me Hokage-sama."

 _Hokage-sama? Hokage-sama?!_ Sakura scoffed and turned away, showing her back to the raven-haired shinobi. Before Sasuke's defection six years ago, he had been a moody, brooding teenager, always trying his best to pick up fights with Naruto. And when he returned to Konoha after the grand funeral (Sakura mentally flinched), he was an ass thorough and thorough. Sakura couldn't recall if her former teammate did something good for Konoha, what's more, he married a failed experiment of Orochimaru, as heartless as himself...

Then she felt an iron grip on her left shoulder. "Answer my question." She heard the Hokage ordered.

"Don't you touch me!" A sudden rush of anger surged through her veins. Her earlobe didn't tingle anymore, but still, Sakura was in a very bad mood, and her heart was yarning for a fight. So she slapped him, forcing her ex-teammate to back off. "You might be the Hokage, but you don't have the prowess to be one. You are worse than Danzo, Uchiha Sasuke, and your eyes must be deteriorating, right? They are eating up your eye-sight seconds by seconds. Just like Itachi's, your eyes will eventually..."

Before she could finish, the kunoichi was smacked across her face. Inhaling sharply, she stepped behind a little to regain her balance and covered her hand on her cheeks. Sakura glared at her village leader. Her muscles tightened, her heart ached, something inside her burnt like fire.

"Never use his name," Sasuke stated in monotone. "And do not making up nonsense like that, _little girl_."

 _Little girl? How dare he speak of me like that!_ Emerald eyes narrowed into slits. Yet she didn't mutter a word.

The rain was still pouring down from the sky. Something eerie stretched between the two. Then Sasuke spoke again. "Get out of here." The black tomoe in his eyes started to spin. "You are merely a civilian girl playing ninja games. Your skill as a kunoichi is nothing but pathetic... Haruno Sakura, you are the worst ninja ever, a wrong lesson for my men."

"What the hell?! You have no right to..."

"I _am_ the Rukodaime Hokage of Konohagakure. Leave my village in thirty minutes, Haruno, else I will send ANBU after you."

 _Finally._ Sakura stared at her former teammate. Her calmness almost made her question her sanity. After some many shinobi, now it was her turn to be expelled. Under Sasuke's hand, the once prosperous village was now an empty ghost town. Many of her comrades had fled to Suna in search of protection, which Gaara gladly provided them with. Team Gai had left for half a year now, along with Izumo and Kotetsu. Only those who were bounded to this land didn't left, like Hyūga clan and Ino-Shika-Cho.

Of course, she was offered to leave for Suna more than one time, yet she refused to give up, still hoping that everything would be alright. But apparently, her current condition was everything but alright. Sasuke was dead serious, and she did believe that the Sharingan user would order an execution if she lingered in Konoha any longer.

There was no choice. She had to leave.

"Fine," Sakura replied tonelessly. Her voice cold, betraying nothing of her thought. "I will leave, and I'll show you how wrong you are, Uchiha Sasuke."

Then she walked pass Sasuke, determined not to say one more sentence with that heartless bastard.

"You're just a medical-nin, nothing more." She heard his voice through the rain, every word dripped with venom. "I have a village full of them. Dear Sakura-chan, you might be special since you have such an abnormal forehead, but you are just an average…"

"Shut up! See you never."

* * *

 A wild sadistic look appeared on Sasuke's face as the petal-haired female disappeared into rain. He heard water splinted, indicating his wife's approach. Even in such a heavy rain, one could still smell the strong smell of perfume rolling off her.

The redhead clang to Sasuke's left arm and pressed her coated lips against his. "About time we get rid of her. With her gone, I am the prettiest kunoichi in the entire village." Karin coaxed.

"You have always been the prettiest kunoichi." Sasuke pulled her face towards his and kissed her on her cheeks. The obnoxious smell tickled his nostrils. He scowled, then pulled up and looked into the darkness.

"Sasuke-kun~ I have a question~" Karin whined in a pusillanimous voice. "Why do you hate that girl so much?"

The Hokage glared at the redhead for a while, and then he spoke, crimson eyes hollow and dead. "Long before I know you, Karin, I asked her to help me revive my clan. But she said no. Ever since then, I can't stand looking at her."

"I can't believe her! No one can be that dumb to turn you down!" Karin cried, obviously thinking why in hell someone could reject her husband.

"Except someone smart."

The Hokage turned to the familiar voice. The new comer had spiky blond hair and sharp cerulean eyes, wearing a headband-style forehead protector. His young handsome face was covered in ashes and dirt, making those cat-like whiskers on his cheeks difficult to find.

Uzumaki Naruto was still wearing his orange jumpsuit as he had when he was a gennin. Despite the fact he had gotten a field promotion that made him jōnin, he never put on Konoha's standard green tank top. The boy who used to be the dead-last in Academy was gone, the one who was now barely grinning at his Hokage was one a shinobi seasoned by sweat and blood and pain.

"The fire is out… Hokage." The blond whispered quietly. His mild manner made his former sarcasm almost surreal.

"Very well." Sasuke pulled Karin to him and then closed his eyes. "Make sure my mansion is well cleaned and in perfect condition. Be quick, there are some business I'd like to take care of."

"Yes sir." The blond nodded in acknowledgement. With a slight puff, Naruto disappered, leaving the dictator of Konoha in the woods.

"Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked, as if she was trying to confirm something. "Are you just using me for sex?"

"No. Of course not." Eyes closed, Sasuke caressed the redhead's cheeks. "You are much more important than that. You are my wife, Karin, and you shall help me revive my clan."

Karin blushed at his blatant words, and... "Is there another Uchiha being able to help? I mean, the sex part is great, but me as a mom…" Her voice trailed off as she saw Sasuke opened his eyes. However, the Hokage wasn't furious at her, he mouthed her off instead. Karin kept her eyes shot even after their lips parted, listening to her husband's impassive statement.

"Outside this village, there is only one Uchiha alive. He possesses a power so great that no other living can parallel. But now his name is a mere shadow from the past, lost in the history, forgotten by many. For some reason, he will never continue his line.

"He is Madara, my insane ancestor who wants to conquer the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> # 1: Oda 织田, traditional Japanese family name. There was Oda Nobunaga, a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history.  
> # 2: Akira 明, feminine Japanese given name, literally means "bright", "intelligent", or "clear".  
> # 3: Hideki 英树, masculine Japanese given name, literally means "timber trees".


	2. Angel in Exile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Haruno Sakura, you shall keep the items safe, no matter the cost." The shinobi avoided her question and fed her with another mystery.  
> ...  
> Those laughters had dug up a vague image from her subconscious. It was vivid, with every detail crystal clear  
> ...  
> "I'm NOT staying. And I will never share my knowledge with any potential enemy to Konoha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think of the story, criticisms and compliments are both apprenticed.

Theme Song: My Scarlet Name - Xandria

* * *

 Sakura leaned against the weather-worn rock positioned at the foot of a small hill. Though the late autumn breeze was gentle and refreshing, the kunoichi was panting softly and her forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Warily, she looked to the north. Konohagakure, her beloved village, was miles and miles away from the here, bathing in the warm sunshine of Fire Country. And here she was, resting in an open plain in the Land of Rivers, watching the dull, gravelly landscape stretching towards the horizon.

_Now I'm eighteen, and I'm a Konoha missing-nin, the very kind of shinobi I despise._

The thought was unsurprisingly dreadful, disturbing the very marrow in her bones. Sakura had to forcefully push it aside, so that she could have some rest after a life-or-death flight. She was completely drained, debilitated after four days of constant fighting until she got away from Fire. If everything worked out fine, she would restore her chakra here and then head to Suna, like every other Konoha shinobi deported by Sasuke.

No, it wasn't the fact that her former teammate had kicked her out like yesterday's garbage made her feel sick, but the loneliness inside of her made her blood run cold. Only carrying a knapsack stuffed with scrolls, Sakura was too rational to deny the cruel validity that she could no longer return to Konoha, unless she was caught by hunter-nins and then sent to the Torture and Interrogation Department.

 _You shall never be back._ The realization dawned on her. _I don't have a village to return anymore._

From day one, the kunoichi was educated to value Konoha above and beyond anything else. Village first, that was what her comrades said. Now that her village had given up on her, she came to realize, that the lose of her spiritual prop could affected her further than she had ever imagined. When Tsunade passed away, she had Konoha to share her grief; right now, her heart was empty and hollow, as if all her morale was sucked out through an invisible straw.

But, alas! If the door was closed, a window would open. Her master, the Slug Princess and the last Senju alive, had left Konoha when she was young, but she was the greatest kunoichi through out the history. _The life outside the boundary wall had just begun._ Sakura swore to herself. _I will follow in Tsunade's footsteps, and ripen into a great medic_ and _kunoichi... As for now, I should a refuge as soon as I can._

Sighing, the petal-haired kunoichi picked herself up. Her body called for a good rest, and a secured parameter was needed as long as she was the target of foreign hunter nins. Foreign Hunter nins, not Konoha ANBU. Usually a village would send out its ANBU operators to finish a freshly-betrayed missing-nin, but the mighty Rukodaime had placed a sizeable sum of bounty over her head and left the job to over shinobi villages. Besides, hunting a green missing-nin down had been a common practice for years, mainly due to the fact that the targets were most vulnerable because of their unfamiliarity towards. But there was good news as well. The longer a missing-nin left his village, the tougher he got, which means he would become less possible to be hunt down. Henceforth, Sakura should be very _very_ grateful that she had come so far without missing any of her body part.

Then she sensed them, the dim chakra signatures heading right towards her from north. Emerald narrowed, the kunoichi straightened to her full height as she calculating all the possible oplans that could make full use of the landscape.

 _When you're out-numbered and over-matched, face your enemies openly and calculate the situation before they get too close._ Her master once told her with a stern look, a bright light dancing in her master's honey brown eyes. Figuring there was actually no better action other facing them overboard before they circled her, Sakura jumped up to the small hill beside her. And there they were, four hooded figures running horizontally to the ground.

_Then you may decide whether you should over power them or flee for your life._

Apparently, the hunter nins had spotted her, as they dashed towards her in full speed until halting within a stone's throw. Perching on her vantage point, the petal-haired kunoichi observed their attires with keen eyes. Plain porcelain masks could mean anything; however, their standing poses gave their away. The one on her left was holding a kunai, which meant he was a taijutsu type or very skilled in close combat; another shinobi on the right side seemed to be relaxed, yet the stiffness of his triceps and brachioradialis was a strong proof that he was preparing to perform hand seals and unleash a powerful ninjutsu on her. In the mean time, the two in the middle were ready to strike. _A common_ _formation used by Konoha hunter nins._ Sakura speculated.

"Please leave, ANBU-san. I have no intention to harm you." The petal-haired kunoichi stated. Regardless of the fact she had been expelled, the last thing in Sakura's mind was to fight against her comrades. Truth to be told, without her teammates as her backup, Sakura wasn't sure if she could deal with four elite shinobi from the village she once called home.

None of the four ANBU operators replied, nor did they attack. It was a stalemate, and the wind seemed to be dead, leaving an eerie silence between the hunter nin squad and Sakura. One could be overreacting to when unnerved, thus it would be an understanding that when being throw at an unknown object, Sakura conjured a pair of chakra scalpels and almost slashed the thin cylinder into half.

Almost. For there was a familiar chakra lingering on the object, faint, but still existed.

_Shikamaru?_

Watching the hunter nin squad in her peripheral vision, Sakura summoned more chakra scalpels and then inspected the cylinder, fully prepared to throw it away if the exploded.

Yet it was just a regular scroll case. No explosive tags attached, no genjutsu designs set, no ninjutsu-based traps built in. The sole thing out of place was a peculiar fūin, where Shikamaru's chakra was leaking out. Something had gone totally wrong.

"What is it?" She asked, her question directed to the second shinobi to the left, whose position usually belong to the squad leader.

"Haruno Sakura, you shall keep the items safe, no matter the cost." The shinobi avoided her question and fed her with another mystery. His voice was deep and stern, albeit muffled by the plain mask. "All the information you need to know is written inside."

If condition permitted, Sakura would scowl and demand him to explain himself. But the leader of the hunter nin squad didn't gave her the chance to ask. He simply brought his hand up, forming a hand seal designed for teleport jutsu—a distinctive move for a Konoha shinobi—then with a courteous nod, disappeared in a puff of smoke. The kunoichi scowled as she watched the other shinobi teleported away. Her expression darkened when the hunter nins' chakra reappeared half a mile away.

_I've meet the squad leader before hand. But who is he exactly?!_

Unfortunately, there was no answer to her question. Slightly irritated, the kunoichi tilted her head up to the sky, tracking the four pinpoints of chakra moving east through her mind's eye. The breeze was soft. The sky was blue. She was left completely alone.

Sighing, the kunoichi investigate the scroll case again. It was medium size, with a regular sealing tag pasted on its surface. If not for the subtle chakra flow underneath, one could easily dismiss it as a normal scroll for transportation. Never the less, Sakura was astonished to find out which fūin was used on the scroll.

It was Genbu Fūin, named after the God of Northern Sky, one of the six sealing techniques developed before the War ended. Shikamaru and her were assigned to a secret mission in order to, in Tsunade's words, "find me several seals reliable enough to replace the ones we are now using in ANBU in light of any outsiders has decoded the current version".

While creating new jutsu was way harder than modifying pre-exist ones, nevertheless the young ninja managed. They used up two months to design the seals in theory, then executed the first three successfully. The sad thing was, their findings would never come into practice in Konoha, not a Konoha ruled by Uchiha Sasuke, for beloved leader of their village had sacrificed before she could review and accept the handiwork done by the brightest minds of Konoha's new generation.

The kunoichi directed a small amount of chakra into the seal. Being the last sealing technique Shikamaru and she executed, Genbu Fūin was strong and delicate, like a durable veil protecting what was inside of it; when the Fūin couldn't resist any longer, it would burn away all its contents, leaving those secrets secret.

Shikamaru wouldn't place such a powerful fūin on a scroll for no reason. As much as she hated to admit, Sakura was aware that her life on-the-run would continue, for the things sealed into this grayish scroll, no matter what they were, must be of great importance to her village.

 _If I can't go to Suna, where shall I stay?_ Tugging the mysterious scroll into her knapsack, the petal-haired kunoichi jumped down from the small hill and returned to the rock beneath it. She soothed down the wrinkles on her apron, the beige clothing a striking contrast with the earthy land. The kunoichi sighed. Her medic attire had served her well in Konoha, but with its light color, it would certainly give away her trail in the outside world. For safety reasons, she needed to purchase some clothes in the next civilian village.

Even under such an unnerving circumstance, the absence of that haunted feeling didn't escape the kunoichi's notice. Yet she was too tire to even think about it, in fact, she didn't feel like doing anything other than sinking into a sweet kami-blessed slumber.

 _You shall not fall asleep... Y_ _ou don't want to be caught off guard, do you?_

Slowly, the petal-haired kunoichi placed herself on the ground, her back against the cold surface of the stone. Meditation, no matter how light it was, would generate her some life-saving chakra.

* * *

Winters in the Land of Rain were dreadfully cold, that was what the Academy thought Sakura. And true to those text books, when the kunoichi stepped foot in Rain, the whole country was tinted silvery white, covering by a thick fluffy blanket of snow. Wrapping her traveling cloak tight, Sakura took one look at the frozen scenery then promptly decided that stealth wasn't necessary, seeing her pursuers, if there was anyone still targeting at her specifically, wouldn't came out in such a cold weather.

A blast of wind swept through the wild, forcing the kunoichi to pull her grayish cloak even tighter. The new outfit she acquired in the Land of River was warm, comfortable and stark. If she put on the hood and hid her pink candyfloss away, she was unimpressionable in the crowd.

She had taken down her Konoha forehead protector, hiding it in her inner pocket. The metal plate looked just as it had been when she was still in her home village, without any scratch or prick on its surface. Yet Sakura couldn't wear it anymore, for as long as Sasuke was in charge of Konoha, she could never ever be part of the village. Thus she put on her second forehead protector, the one specially designed for the Allied Shinobi Force, the one engraved with the kanji for shinobi. _At least I am a_ shinobi _, my training are not wasted. And I will never allow my future ruined._

It wasn't her first option, to stand here in an unfamiliar territory all alone. She didn't feel like running into any shinobi in Rain, for Amegakure, the shinobi village on this Land, had always been infamous for its anti-foreign tendency.  Whereas Ame did join the Allied Shinobi Force during the previous war, the very perception that Akatsuki's headquarter was placed in Ame, was deep-seeded in her young, keeping the kunoichi constantly on guard when handling any assignment related to that village.

Yet the winter had come, making it more difficult to survive in the wilderness. Since Sakura had searched the Land of River inch by inch without finding a safe harbor, she had to turn to its neighborhood country. That was why she finally came to the Land of Rain for refuge, on a land where six of the nine Jinchūriki lost their lives...

 _I need sharper eyes if I was cornered in a winter plain. Senbon are hard to see against glittering snow._ The kunoichi on the run fished out a map from her pocket and unfolded it. __Or a less favorable battlefield for hunter nin, though I can always produce a mini earthquake if I feel pleased.__ Carefully, she scanned the paper. There was a civilian town not far from here, a likely place for Ame shinobi to stop by and have a rest. On the map, she spotted a black dot representing a civilian town not far from here. There was high chance for her to meet some Ame nin there.

Knapsack adjusted, Sakura breathed in the chilling air and then sprinted forward. She sailed through the frozen plain soundlessly. The footprints she made were shallow, erased by the wind that had been whispering long before ninja appeared.

* * *

 Before the sun was high, a small town came into view.

Expanding her senses, Sakura ventured into the busy civilian street. To her very surprise, the rural town was peaceful, as if he previous war had never occurred. Beautiful teru teru bozu were .hanging outside opened windows. An elderly couple was strolling down the street, their hair as white as snow. Groups of housewives were chatting at the crossroad. And there were children, laughing gleefully, throwing snowballs at each other.

Those laughters had dug up a vague image from her subconscious. It was of vivid color, with every detail crystal clear: misty mountains, a wood door, a small toddler with pink hair, happily waging in the snow...

Sakura blinked. The image vanished as quickly as it appeared. A tight sensation built up in her chest, making those beautiful emeralds eyes damp unconsciously.

 _I must be more than a little homesick, to dream up something like that._ The kunoichi decided. Then she resumed her previous search, trying her best to pick up a chakra signature flaring bright enough to be a shinobi's.

Heaven knew she tried, but Sakura could find any shinobi, not even a kunai. For three nights Sakura waited patiently for their approach, then on the fourth day, just as the sun peeked over the horizon, her long-expecting guests came to visit. It was a make-shift squad made of four ninja boys, who proudly related her Ame's invitation.

 _A shinobi village doesn't invite a foreign missing-nin to a friendly tea party._ Sakura warned herself to be prepared for attacks. But the boys simply stood there, with innocent eyes staring at her, clearly intrigued by her fancy hair color. _Chakra won't lie, thus they don't meant to be hostile... do they?_  Seeing there was no better way to go, the kunoichi accepted the offer and followed the ninja boys to their village.

Amegakure, a village that had kept its secrets in dark for decades. Now that she was able to walk on Ame's main streets freely, being a well-trained as she was, Sakura scanned her surroundings quietly, making varies oplans and memorizing their path in case she needed to breakout.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked cautiously.

"To the center tower, of course!" One of the boys chirped. He had curly maroon hair and almond-shape eyes as blue as forget-me-not. What was his name again? Gintoki... Kintoki... Akitoki? Oh yes, it was Akitoki. "Tenshi-sama sent us to fetch you!"

 _Tenshi-sama?_  Sakura frowned at the addressing. There was only one man being called like that: Konan, the female Akatsuki who had once studied under Jiraiya.

"Ne, Akitoki-san, do you know why your Tenshi-sama wants to see me?" asked Sakura.

"Dunno... But I've heard grown-ups talking about you! They say you are a great medic." Akitoki beamed, pointing at an entranced to a weathered building. "Here we are, Sakura-sama! Just walk through the hall and take the elevator. Tenshi-sama is waiting for you at the top flower. See ya!"

It wasn't funny at all, Sakura thought, watching the squad jogged away. Still, she had no idea why she was literally _summoned_ by an ex-Akatsuki member. The kunoichi frowned at her inappropriate thought. Then, without hesitation, she ventured into the building, her shoulders squared, her strides confident.

Moments later, Sakura found herself standing face to face with the leader of Ame. The kunoichi was wearing a familiar black mantle minus Akatsuki insignia, a delicate origami decorating her blue hair.

Sakura would never forget the day Amegakure joined the Allied Shinobi Force. The Raikage was not pleased to see that the joint force having Akatsuki as an ally. Konan, however, explained that Akatsuki was originally a self-defensive organization but being controlled by Tobi, and promised the irritated kage that Ame had ridden of that deadly manipulation for good.

"You must be Konan." The petal-haired kunoichi intoned quietly, holding out her slender hand as a friendly gesture. "I am Haruno Sakura, apprentice to Godaime Hokage Tsunade. My apology for not introduce myself earlier during the previous war."

Konan took her hand and shook it slightly. "Sakura-san, there's no need for an apology. I am Konan, Jiraiya-sensei's student and the current leader of Amegakure. It's a pleasure to meet you properly." Then she led Sakura to into a large conference room through a secret door.

Placing herself on the coach, Sakura regarded the other kunoichi warily. She knew little about Konan, who had been the solo female member of Akatsuki. The intelligent department in Konoha once suspected Akatsuki to be disbanded, for most of its members were died when the Fourth Shinobi World War ended.

"With all due respect, Konan-san, I think you should clarify your motivation of inviting a Konoha missing-nin into Amegakure."

Her heat skipped a bit when she saw a peculiar light flashed through Konan's amber eyes. In an instance, Sakura leapt to her feat, hands glowing with deadly chakra scalpels. Her chakra was activated, fully preparing to be used in any forthcoming battle.

"No need to be so tensed; Amegakure and its shinobi mean you no harm. Please sit down." Konan said softly. "Your worry is unnecessary. Akatsuki fell apart the moment Nagato gave up his life to redeem our wrong doings."

Bright emerald stared into smothering amber. Sakura prod for any hidden hostility behind Konan's smooth expression. But there was none. The Ame kunoichi had something in hand, and Sakura suspected that had something to do with her medical knowledge.

"Who is Nagato?" Sakura inquiring warily, yet the other female looked as calm as one patient big sis behaving in front her younger siblings... _Fine, I'm a little overacting._ Sighing mentally, the kunoichi sat down and dispelled the chakra scalpels.

"He was my partner, the former leader of Amegakure. To the outside world, his name was Pein."

Pein, the name evoked fear in Konoha, and loathing, if she dared say. To capture Nine-Tails, the Akatsuki leader had reduced her home village to a shamble within seconds, killing and injuring hundreds in the process. Then Naruto appeared, chasing the god-like enemy out of the ruins. No one knew exactly what happened between Naruto and his opponent, nevertheless Pein revived all the Konoha residents deceased that day and then died from chakra exhaustion.  _Naruto's words always work like a charm, turning an enemy into a friend through speaking._  she thought bitterly,  _but_ Sasuke _never listen to him._

Sakura fixed her eyes on the other kunoichi, noticing the tension on her shoulders. Apparently, Konan wasn't comfortable talking about her deceased partner. But Sakura didn't apologize. Instead, she voiced her question again.

"If Ame isn't aiming at the bounty over my head, what do you want from me?"

"Your abilities as a medic and kunoichi," Konan replied quickly. "Ame needs to establish its own medical system and you are the best medic in the shinobi world. Moreover, it'll be very beneficial for Ame if we can win an ANBU-class kunoichi to our side."

"I'm _not_ staying. And I will never ever share my knowledge with any potential enemy to Konoha."

Hearing this, the other female nodded slightly, as if she had being expecting the refusal. "Good. But, you needn't to join our rank, Sakura-san. All you have to do is to train us some medical-nin. Then, we will provide you with a safe haven whenever you require one, as long as you do not endanger my village."

 _Should I accept?_  Sakura questioned herself. It wasn't difficult to figure out the risk. However, if those Ame nin show any sign to capture her, she could always break out. _Or commit suicide, if the situation calls. One jolt of chakra to the heart then no one can lay his hands on Konoha's secrets._

Moreover, Sakura had been through the medic training before, thus she knew that it was only a matter of time before Ame build up its own medical system. Her participation would only accelerate the process. Other than her head and the mysterious scroll in her knapsack, she had nothing to lose. How much worse would it be, comparing to the past two months of being constantly on the run?

"I'm considering." Sakura replied flatly. "But one last question. Your offer is too good for a foreign shinobi. Why me? Why not help Naruto? Both of you were Jiraiya-sama's apprentices, were you not?"

Hearing this, the elder kunoichi raised a delicate eyebrow. "Nagato believed in Naruto, so I believe in him too. But in reality, personal charisma and optimism are not convincing enough in high places."

Sakura wanted to retort, but what could she say?  _On battlefield, Naruto can turn a foe into a friend, no matter how bad the situation is. In conference room, his ability to deal with unfriendly outlanders is a downright dismal._ Sakura bit her lips as she recalled those numerous attempts the blond shinobi made, to persuade an unrepentant Uchiha.  _What can he do if Sasuke doesn't_ want _to be saved?_

Regardless of Sakura's silence, the other female continued. "Besides, Yahiko and Nagato's will is shared by many other shinobi - including you, Sakura-san - making it easier to fulfill the dream of peace."

"We are shinobi, and there is no absolute peace in this world of constant competition. That's period."

"Perhaps. But it is also true that one can try his best to make the world as closer to peace as possible. That had been the ultimate goal of my partners, and I assume you are well on your way towards it."

Sakura shuddered. The notion she sharing a same dream with Pein was way too much for her sanity. Thus she grabbed on the first thing propped into her mind, praying of a change in the topic.

"No comment on flowers of hope?"

Konan merely smiled at her words. Not the large grin belonged to Naruto, but a small gentle smile that reminded Sakura so much of Shizune. The knowing look, the tiny tilt of lips, the soft gaze in those calming eyes...

_The smile a sister gives to her confused sibling._

"No, there is none," The blue-haired kunoichi replied gently, her voice tinted with amusement. "Before we making the official arrangement, let me show you around Amegakure, the Hidden Village of Rain."

* * *

Konan had been agreeable and courteous when guiding the petal-haired kunoichi through the maze-like village of Ame, however, it was the exact hospitable made Sakura faltered inside. She was offered a suite in the upper section of central tower, much to her bewilderment. The kunoichi thought about Konan's intention over and over, but in the end, she had to presume that Konan just wanted to keep an eye on her, which was most likely to be part of the truth.

 _One can't be_ this _generous to a stranger._ She had to know what did Konan want from her except her medical jutsu, Sakura knew that, but she was too exhausted to do anything other than collapse on that soft, lulling bed after a long-expected bath, which she did. The kunoichi was now lying in the bed, a few strands of her pink candyfloss gently framing her face.

Sighing, the kunoichi checked the traps and chakra barrier she previously set, before she took out the mysterious scroll from her knapsack. Gingerly she placed it on the white duvet, fully prepared to run a thorough check on this seemingly ordinary object.

It was a standard storage scroll every Konoha nin could purchase. But of course, Shikamaru would not leave any mark on a scroll meant to be delivered to a missing-nin.

A missing-nin from Konoha. That was not an agreeable idea. Sakura shivered slightly, her brilliant eyes watered for seconds. She blinked, trying to focus on her current task, then pealed away the sealing tag and poured her chakra in to the inner hidden seal. To her surprise, Sakura sensed several chakra mingling in the seal; six, to be accurate. Apart from Ino, the younger and the older generation of Ino-Shika-Cho had contributed their chakra, while the remaining one represented the stern-voiced squad leader who had thrown her this scroll.

 _If they have something to tell me, why not send a message scroll?_ Sakura lifted her hand. Frowning, she tucked away her candyfloss hair, which now was a bit too long for her own taste. Message scrolls were small and light, while the storage scrolls were larger, less convenient to be carried around. She recalled the scroll Naruto used, which had been so large that the ex-jinjūriki had to carry it on his back. She looked at the grayish scroll again, emerald eyes narrowed.

_Dragon, horse, hare, snake, dragon, dog, bird._

The hands of the kunoichi raced through the hand seals with familiarity, each movement meticulous and graceful. When she reached the ninth, Sakura paused, held her breathe and watched.

Subtly on the surface, thin lines of blue-green emerged. In less than a heartbeat, the faint lines grew wider into thin chakra threads, and then vanished, revealing the intricate patterns which served as the inner part of Genbu Fūin. In the middle section of the scroll, an empty circle appeared.

With a speed that would make Kakashi proud, Sakura performed the remaining hand seals.  _Ox, boar, rat, snake again..._ She curled her right hand into a half-Ram and positioned it above the circle, her left hand made a half Yang Water seal.

"Kai!"

The glowing kanji of "water" appeared in the center of the circle. Jolts of chakra released from the Fūin. And then, all those patterns dissolved like snow.

Sakura unrolled the scroll, inhaled sharply as three more scrolls fell on to the duvet. One of them was larger then the other two. _For kami's sake, two of them are sealed by Seiryu Fūin!_

Seiryu, the Azure Dragon of East, Shikamaru and her had used its title to name their second seal. The Seiryu Fūin was most suitable to seal away ANBU documents and any other secrets one didn't want outsiders to learn. The kunoichi breathed out a shaky sight, then picked up one of the two scrolls and unsealed it with ease.

It was a message scroll this time, apparently written by those who had made the seal. The first message was short, no more than a few sentences. _Hi, Sakura! This is Chōji._  It read. _Shikamaru tells me you are now banished from Konoha and they are some thing you get to take with you. Eat well. Everything will be fine. Chōji._

Then there were messages from the older generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. Yamanaka Inoichi mainly focused on the psychological tactics dealing with hunter nin, while Akimichi Chōza provided her with several fancy ways on disguising. Nara Shikaku's writing was the most elegant one among the trio. With his perfect penmanship, Shikamaru's father informed her that Tsunade had started to relocate the entire collection of Konoha confidential documents to Nara compound in light of any political upheaval. Now that Sasuke began to search for those documents, he decided to send the archive to her, alongside with a scroll Godaime left her.

 _Tsunade-shishou…_  Emerald eyes welled up with tears. How Sakura missed her mother of all but blood! Hell, she would give her all in exchange for one more afternoon helping the female Hokage fight against those mountainous piles of paperwork. Sakura felt like crying, but the Slug Sannin had taught her better. _Crying is of no use, you get to do the right things in the right time._ Sakura swallowed her tears and somehow managed to read on.

"You should change your fighting tactics. During our time in ANBU, you mainly focused on taijutsu and medical jutsu… Now you don't have anyone looking after your back, you need to be careful. Your monstrous strength may give away your trail. So try some genjutsu and use your katana more often..."

Those flow, elegant handwriting belonged to Neji. The Hyūga heir had also retold his uncle's words: refrain from confronting Konoha shinobi in Fire's territory, which will help her regain her previous statue.

Shikamaru's massage was at the bottom of the message scroll. Before scanning the long massage, the kunoichi made a mental note to teach the younger Nara a lesson on "not to give away your handiwork this easy". Shikamaru explained the nasty situation caused by the most troublesome Hokage ever in Konoha, the reason why he deemed it better to send her the top-secret files, and bided her farewell. He also mentioned that the unsealed scroll was from Tsunade.

Why did shishou leave her a scroll? What made the she decide not to give the scroll to her directly? Did the Slug Sannin foresee her death?

Heart pounding in her chest, Sakura reached out her hands and picked up the unsealed scroll. She unraveled it. The first thing she noticed was a summoning diagram occupied most of the paper. The patterns were of deep red, with a brownish tint to them. They were written in blood.

Tsunade's blood.

 _Blood seals can only be activated by the receivers' blood, making those techniques bloody useful when it comes to hide things._  Her mentor once remarked casually during a lunch break after one hectic morning of paperwork, with a flask of sake in her hand, a rumbling Shizune on her right...

 _Stop it! You shall not dwell in the past!_ Sakura screamed at herself. If she exhausted herself because of crying, she would be completely vulnerable. A little light-headed, the petal-haired kunoichi swallowed a soft cry, forced herself to inspect the scroll again. Aside from the claret patterns, there was only a line of fierce scribbles at the bottom.

"The time has come. I leave my medic journal and the Scroll of Seals to you. Use them well."

Something blocked her version and made the entire world blur. They poured out from within, grazed her chins, and melted in her mouth. They were salty, and bitter, like the taste of grief, anguish, and the heartbreak.

She cried into her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Four Celestial Beasts in the Far Eastern mythology:  
> # Seiryu 青龙, Azure Dragon, God of Eastern Sky, the symbol of wood and spring.  
> # Suzaku 朱雀, Vermilion Bird, God of Southern Sky, the symbol of fire and summer.  
> # Byakko 白虎, White Tiger, God of Western Sky, the symbol of metal and autumn.  
> # Genbu 玄武, Black Tortoise, God of Northern Sky, the symbol of water and winter.  
> ...Oh yes, as you may have figured out, they are used by Kishimoto when designing Akatsuki rings. :)


	3. Gaining Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The serene in this village felt good, however, in some part of her soul, the urge of "going out of here" was growing day by day.  
> ...  
> There was an incredible irony in the fact that she was chatting with a former Akatsuki as a missing-nin from Konoha, their topic centered on a village where the murder of Sandaime's son came from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I present you the third installment. The next update will be in mid-June.

Theme Song: Vengeance - Zack Hemsey

* * *

Bright emerald eyes started five colorful test tubes positioned on the clean bench. If the one labeled "E" turned clear in the next seven minutes, Sakura could draw up the conclusion that the antidote she made would work fine and save the poisoned Ame chūnin she needed to look after.

 _How dramatic_. Sakura mused as she waiting the clock tickling away time. Less than one hundred days ago, she was stuck to the belief that Amegakure was her foe and any Konoha medical-nin should not volunteer to save its shinobi. But now, after three months in exile and one week of not-so-secret surveillance, she was free to purchase groceries in Ame’s market and use the laboratory once belonged to _the_ Uzumaki Nagato.

The petal-haired kunoichi glanced at the E test tube again, it was now as clear as liquid crystal, while the other four were still having hazy mixture. Nodding in satisfaction, she noted down her ideas and new findings in meticulous calligraphy. After she finished her meticulous writing, the kunoichi closed her medic journal and strode out the room, fetching the newly-made antidote on her way.

Sakura wondered how was Akitoki doing, the boy was one of the two Ame shinobi whose chakra control had met her requirement and then became medic-nins in understudy. The kunoichi wasn’t new to the role of a tutor, for she had trained many primary nurses and interns when she was still working in Konoha’s hospital. However, this time was totally different. Sakura knew this village trained its shinobi one by one and nurtured their skills, yet the talent of those kids shocked her.

 _They are gifted, if the fact that both of them are now able to generate healing chakra means anything._ Sakura thought as she reached a ward where Akitoki and the other pupil were looking after the poisoned chūnin. She opened the door and stepped in, gathering a small amount of chakra at her eyes so that she could read patient’s file across the room. She scanned the record in the distance. To her satisfaction, the chūnin had been doing good, thus he would be completely healed after having her antidote injected.

In her peripheral vision, Akitoki sprang up from his sitting position and dashed to her. _Especially this boy, he is able to heal light bruises with healing chakra. Konan must have given me the best youngsters in this village. And I won’t be surprised if he turned out to be a first class medical-nin, allowed to carry out mission as a field medic._

Sakura gave the antidote to Yumi, her other pupil in this ward, gestured the girl to do the injection. After Yumi finished her job, Sakura gestured the kids to step out with her.

“Well, kids, if you have finished reading the herb encyclopedia I handed you before, you may start with the basis of antidote making.”

Sakura started her lecture, while the two medic-in-training followed her down the corridor. Her voice echoed in the building, soothing and calm, which wasn’t new to this village full of metallic edifices that pointed at the heaven.

* * *

 

One day in midwinter, she ran into Konan in a small kitchen placed on the fourth floor of village tower. Since she deemed it too weird to prepare meal without speaking to the other person in the room, the kunoichi managed to make small conversations with the blue-haired female, which was the beginning of their friendship.

Amegakure had abundant rainfall, which turned to snow in the freezing season. To Sakura, living in relatively peace made all those pains and bloodshed seemed a lifetime away. Yet this stillness was shuttered into pieces during a clear afternoon.

"Here, you may need this." Konan handed her an article of clothing when she lazing at the balcony. Picking herself up, Sakura took the clothing in her hands, its fabric was light and cool grey colored. Then she had a close look at the cloak she purchased in River. There were several white spots dotting it, a reminder of those vagrant days in the wild.

"Thank you, Konan. You are so charming." Sakura beamed at the other kunoichi as they walked by into the room.

And Konan returned her smile. "Well, I figured that you would restore your supplies before going out the village, so I brought you this."

Even though Sakura did know that Konan wouldn't lure her into a trap, her analytical side reacted immediately.

"Forgive me, but I can't recall if I should carry out Ame's missions as part of our deal." Sakura raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "So you'd better tell me what makes you think that I _will_ go out."

"There are two things you need to know." The blue-haired kunoichi replied gravely, showing her a black-covered handbook. "First, congratulation, you are now enlisted in Fire's Bingo Book."

Sakura fought to conceal her emotion, but her sour smile must have given her away. "Well, that's pretty sad." She flipped through the pages, and found her portrait easily, along with her basic information and ninja skill assessment. There was a bounty of 1677,000 over her head.

 _Oh, you shouldn't be so surprised, Sakura-chan. You know Sasuke will do this from day one._ The petal-haired kunoichi thought angrily. _All he wants is to drive everybody away. Now, I can be a little rich girl if I turn myself in..._

"Thank you for telling me this." She grimaced, and then looked into the Konan's amber eyes. "But you are not the kind of person handing out Bingo Books randomly. So what’s next?”

“It’s about the Ten-Tails. Evidences show that in the Land of Iron, there are unknown beasts attacking civilian travelers after sunset.” Konan pulled out small scroll and unrolled it, revealing a map with numerous notes beside it. She pointed at a red spot on the map. “Of all the known attacks, only one civilian farmer wasn’t killed on scene. Though he died three days after, he was able to describe the beast attacked him: White beast, as large as a horse, with a sole eye on its forehead.”

“Of course, it can’tbe some fluffy nin pets!” Sakura almost squealed, her voice sharper than normal. “We have only one kind of things with a sole eye—for kami’s sake, it must be a clone of Ten-Tails!” She glared at the message lying under her nose innocently. What displaying on it was a map of Iron, dotted with small red “x”, indicating an attack had taken place.

How could she forget? During the previous war, what brought the Allied Shinobi Forces greatest causalities wasn’t the White Zetsu arm, but a sea of one-eyed beasts known as Ten-Tails clones. Yes, the _real_ Ten-Tails was defeated and the nine tailed beasts were freed by Naruto, but its fragments dissolved into countless chalk-white monsters…

“The Land of Iron has been a neutral country ever since the Five Great Shinobi Countries established, which means it impossible for Ame to send out its shinobi to investigate that reported village.”

Sakura immediately understood what was the other kunoichi suggesting. She was technically a missing-nin unaffiliated to any shinobi village, which made her serviceable in this situation. Personally, the kunoichi knew her abilities were most suitable for this mission, for she had been Tsunade’s apprentice, having inherited her master’s monstrous strength _and_ medical skills.

“I see what you mean, Konan. Next time, don’t beat around the bush.” The petal-haired kunoichi commented lightly. Instead of being annoyed, she was grateful that Konan had decided to tell her about this piece of news, especially when the blue-haired kunoichi was not obliged to do so.

“Well, let’s talk it over. We shall get everything planned before I leave for the Land of Iron.”

* * *

 It didn’t take long for Sakura to find out what was going on in Iron. Some Ten-Tails clones appeared from thin air and then hunted for preys. The poor victim Konan mentioned was a local peasant, whose social statue made his death as insignificant as it could be. Because the lack of clues, Sakura had to follow a trail of dead dears and other animals into the snowy mountain, hoping to find the beasts.

And she found them.

Furless and lone-eyed, a pack of bear-sized beasts ruled by animal instinct only. Their chalky skin was rough enough to resist chakra blades. In shapes of bears, giant wolves and overgrown infants, the clones were lethal enemies of civilians despite their low intelligence and inability to detect chakra flow.

The petal-haired was stunned at first, staring in disbelief until a cat-like clone lashed its tail. Heart drumming, Sakura quickly ended the lives of the beasts—if those clones could be regarded as living beings—with her glowing chakra scalpels. She then undertook a rug type search in the surrounding area, only to find nothing peculiar except one faint chakra signature located in a cavern miles and miles away. The kunoichi checked her map for direction; the cavern was located near the Three Wolves Mountains, a place no shinobi should ever stumble across. Seeing there was nothing more to do, Sakura headed back to Amegakure.

* * *

 "Is there any news on Ten-Tails' clones?" Sakura inquired cautiously, taking a tiny sip of her green tea as she watched the blue-haired kunoichi ordered another bottle of sake. She had just accompanied Konan patrolling around Ame, and they were now sitting in a cozy bar Konan usually stopped by for a drink. The serene in Amegakure felt good, however, in some part of her soul, the urge of _going out of here_  was growing day by day, and particular strong each time she had to rely on Konan for news on the outside world.

"Not exactly. But the Shinobi World will be changed because of one certain thing." Konan paused, twitching her lips sardonically. "Remember the group of Taki shinobi you saw on your way back from Land of Iron? They are not normal shinobi. They are refugees, their village was gone. "

"What?!"

"It is gone. Takigakure collapsed three days ago." Konan stated calmly, though her eyes were narrowed. "No other shinobi village should be specifically responsible for its fall. That village wasn't defeated from the outside, but rather broken from its inside.

"After the War was over, Taki signed peace treaties with all of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. However, crop failures, price upswing, as well as the lesser demand of missions, had made Takigakure short of working capitals. Other villages suffered from that too, albeit Taki was the most severe one. That's a depression, Sakura, a depression, which had turned Taki into a ghost town surrounded by trees and rivers... That left Shibuki no choice but to dissolve his village. It's to be said that he had undersold varies ninjutsu scrolls in exchange for cash."

Sakura threw a dark look at the other kunoichi, who was pouring herself some sake. "Then I reckon every single scrolls is now relocated in Amegakure's archive." Her previous statue in Konoha had granted her better access to T&I documents, helping her to imagine Taki's condition. In fact, when she was serving Konoha ANBU, the petal-haired once received a mission directly from Konoha Council.

_"It is for the village's good."_

She could still recall Elder Mitokado's hoarse statement when Kakashi questioned the council's order. Her ex-sensei had insisted that Konoha shinobi should never detonate a mountain just because they wanted to kill off Orochimaru's apprentice. Though Shikamaru and Neji were silent, the kunoichi still sensed the anger boiling inside their body. But what did Elder Utatane said?

_"Orochimaru and Yakushi know too much about the summoning technique Impure World Reincarnation. As long as they survive, the shinobi world is under the danger of the fifth war. Bury that young snake under that mountain. Ro! Kage! Nishi! Gyoku! This mission must be done, no matter the cost!"_

They had killed Kabuto by burying him under tons of rocks and soils. And the kunoichi remembered that the mountain her team fractured was located on the outskirt of Takigakure, serving as their natural barrier.

_Three years. It only takes three years for a shinobi village to fall apart._

The kunoichi shuddered at the memory. Living in guilt was useless, she had to repeat it to her several times to get rid of the coldness. _Better to think of something else other than feeling shame..._ Sakura tapped the mahogany table, pale fingers making a lulling rhyme as she searching her memory for a particular Taki shinobi, the supposed leader of that refugee group. "Shibuki... is he in his late twenties and with dark brown hair?"

'Yes, he is. In fact, I suppose you've already met him on your way back." Konan chuckled softly. "Takigakure had been known for frequently producing skilled jōnin long before the wars broke out. Kakazu came form Taki, do you remember that? I dislike him, though I have to admit he was a seasoned shinobi."

Kakazu, the treasurer of Akatsuki, the five-hearted shinobi suffering from money obsession. Sakura rolled her eyes in silent disgust, and picked up a stick of Takoyaki from the plate, taking a solid bite.

There was an incredible irony in the fact that she was chatting with a former Akatsuki as a missing-nin from Konoha, while their topic centered on a village where the murder of Sandaime's son came from.

_Think about the brighter side, Sakura, Kakazu and his freak of criminal friends are dead thorough and thorough. Even Orochimaru is unwilling to use Impure World Reincarnation again, for the weakness of that technique is deadly, isn't it?_

Grimacing inwardly, the petal-haired kunoichi chewed the little meat ball in her mouth and swallowed it. Then she spoke to Konan, who had just finished her drink.

"Let's drop the Akatsuki stuff. Takigakure has been the sole village outside of the five grate villages to hold a tailed beast. Albeit selecting a host from the family of the village's Kage is a common practice, Taki doesn't have a Kage. So what measures do they use to prevent their jinchūriki from turning a traitor?"

"Fū was a distant relative of Shibuki, their village leader." Konan quickly replied, her ember eyes gleaming due to the alcohol. "Deidara and Sasori captured her two months before they targeted on One-Tail. That girl was hyperactive, being hated and neglected by the majority in that village. It was such a shame, some of the citizens were even glad that Fū was captured and killed."

She paused, clearing organizing the following words. "Living as a shinobi is like playing chess. At first, you dictate the tiles to move, feeling great as everything is under its way. However, when the ending is near, you suddenly realize you are not a chaser, but part of the chase game yourself. Sakura, I don't think those jinchūriki deserve their fates, and I will not feel remorse for the things Nagato and I had done also. Amegakure cannot wash way its guilt by eloquence, thus we choose to be a watcher of the shinobi world, a role most needed when the time and tides are changing fast.

"Sakura, what is your role in this world? What are your goals, your ambitions? And how are you going to realize them?"

More or less taken aback, the petal-haired kunoichi blinked furiously, pondering over the questions.

_What is your role in this world?_

Even the first question was difficult to answer. Her name was not _Naruto_. She couldn't be the brightest star in her field. Sakura knew she lacked of some traits the blond processed, albiet she was analytical, organized and always curious, a wonderful combo to become a superb high-level shinobi...

Naruto was the Light to his friends, to Konoha and even the shinobi world. He had everything a savior required: kind, loyal, optimistic, eloquent, dependable, and incredibly strong. He possessed a massive amount of potent chakra that was ten times greater than Sakura's...

_But the sun is merely one of the millions celestial bodies in the heaven above us._

"If I cannot be the sun, then I'll choose to be a star." Sakura enunciated firmly, her expression solemn, with fire dancing in her vibrant eyes. "Maybe I shall be never bright enough to light up the entire sky, however, my shimmers shall be the starlet guiding lost one through the night... Ah, I'm making such a fuss!"

Konan started at Sakura for a moment, and gently chided the petal-haired kunoichi, whose cheeks were now on fire. "That's neither moaning nor groaning. It's your true feeling, and you need to be more confident and hold fast to your dreams." She paused, and then supped at her flask of warm sake. Her ember eyes fixed on a distant spot in the cold rain outside, as if looking into her past. "After Nagato's death, I keep questioning myself why those wars took place? Why those sacrifices had to be made? There is darkness in human's heart, luring them to the abyss of avarice and conceit... But, despite the flaws, faults and failures of men, I still believe in humanity."

"You mean darkness can be surpassed and kindness can be awakened. Have you find out the way so far?"

"No, but we can always seek for the answer." Konan replied, emptying another bottle of sake. Then she closed her eyes, leaving one Haruno Sakura deep in thought.

The rest of their meal was spent in silence. Sakura finished her last octopus ball, savoring the delicate taste of mayonnaise as she listened to the pitter-patter of the falling rain. It was rain drops, not snow flakes. _Spring is coming. Then everything will begin to wake up, blooming._

After Konan finished her drink, the two kunoichi put their hoods on and walked out of the bar. Sakura glanced at the stone cottage, noticing a white teru teru bozu grinning beside the window.

"By the way, Sakura, will you please do me favor?" Konan soft voice sounded beside the petal-haired kunoichi. "When Shibuki was selling his ninjutsu scrolls for me, he mentioned that their group once found a furless corpse in the Land of Birds, which had only one eye on its forehead."

"That's interesting." Sakura tilted her head. For her, it was a good thing that Konan started to speak with her openly. _No more beating around the bush_. She chuckled in delight. Why not be cheerful when everything would take a turn to better? "Do you have any other information on Birds? I still remember the faint trace of chakra in Iron, so if it is possible, I will go and have a look."

"Birds is a country without shinobi village, I think you already known that. Because it doesn't depend of ninja that much, the country is now in relative peace, if you can ignore their pressing economy crisis." Konan replied quickly. "If Ten-Tails' clones do exist, their ranges are limited into a few places, for they are not seen by civilians so far. I'll fetch you a map of Birds after we returned to the village."

Emerald eyes glinted. The Land of Birds didn't possess enough strategic value to have its map stored in a shinobi village's ANBU archive. Thus Konan's promise meant the other kunoichi would have to turn to her personal collection for the map. _Maybe, you have someone to give your trust to, Sakura-chan._ There was a warm sensation gathering at the pit of her stomach, surging through her veins until it reached the very end of her fingertips.

"Well, it's very generous of you." Sakura smirked at the other kunoichi, as sly as a fox with fiery fur.

"Now Tenshi-sama, race me back to the village."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> # Takoyaki 蛸焼, octpus balls, a kind of Japanese snack made of octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), green onion and other ingredients.
> 
> # Teru teru bozu 照る照る坊主, literally means "shine shine monk", is a small handmade doll made of white paper. Japanese farmer used to hang several teru teru bozu outside their windows, so that the dolls can stop or prevent raining and bring them sunshine and good weather.


	4. Into the Ether (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling alone wasn't like the solitary she used to enjoy in Konoha library, it made the small hotel room empty and silent  
> ......  
> "Unfortunately so, Sakuya-san, Raikage-sama did sent me for you."  
> ......  
> I never know a little medical-nin can be this popular in the shinobi world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos! This chapter will be a little longer, so I split it into two parts. Here I present you the first installment. :)

Theme Song: Mountains Take Wing - Timothy Wenzel

* * *

It wasn't as hard as she imagined, carrying out mission as Haruno Sakura, not as one of the best kunoichi in a village or the Konoha ANBU operator Gyoku. And here she was, dressing like a young samurai, walking a wooden carriage in which her current clients resting.

She had crossed path with a civilian caravan near the south-west boarder of Birds, ten days after she left Ame. At that time, the kunoichi had investigated most of the regions on her check-list of no-man area, and she was glad to find out there was nothing extraordinary. Thus she chatted with a lady called Mayumi, wife to the civilian merchant Sasaki, discussing the culinary usage of varies herbs. Then, things moved too quickly and before Sakura knew it, she was escorting the merchant couple and their caravan in disguise.

 _So young, so naive, Sakura-chan. You'd better be careful when dealing with people from high places._ The kunoichi chided herself, half teasing, half annoyed. _It is only by luck their destination isn't far from mine..._

"Oda-san, the town is near." She heard Mayumi said in the carriage, her chiming voice revealing the civilian's delight. Sakura sighed inwardly. Soon her escort mission would be over, and then she could have a small rest before moving to her last destination, the abandoned Shirakawa Shrine four miles eastward.

Much to her own awkwardness, the petal-haired kunoichi would flee from Sasaki Mayumi after her mission completed. She dare not stay with the sophisticated civilians any longer, not knowing what was waiting her if she did.

_Perhaps, there will be a year-long position to assure their safety, as well as running errands._

Sakura chuckled at the notion as she stepped into her hotel room. Minutes later she checked into one of the local taverns, a nice place with the smell of sake, bamboo grove and geisha's sachets wafting in the cool spring air. The room she acquired was on the second floor, away from the merry-making crowds. She closed the door and set up a few traps before marching towards the bathroom. Her muscles groaned happily when Sakura enjoyed her long soothing bath of pleasure.

* * *

_It's sunset._

Staring at the far horizon through the windowpane, Sakura suddenly felt lonely. Feeling alone wasn't like the solitary she used to enjoy in Konoha library, it made the small hotel room empty and silent. She directed her gaze to the katana she had been carrying for the past four days. Yes, it was a katana, not the sort of tantō commonly used by Konoha shinobi. Twenty-four inches long and three finger widths, this tamahagane sword was the present Tsunade gave her when she turned fourteen, to celebrate her chūnin promotion.

The kunoichi took out a fluffy powder ball, dusting the curved slender blade as she recalled the other material gift she received from the blond Hokage.

_I still don't understand why shishou gave me a summoning instead of slug. After all, Katsuyu's healing ability is must helpful for a medical-nin._

She loved her personal summons dearly, and they were the best partners she could ask for. But still... she was a little lost because she had lost another similarity with her beloved master.

A cuckoo chirped outside and its chiming voice reminded Sakura of the local dishes Konan recommended. Picking up the katana, the kunoichi stood up and went down to the ground floor for dinner.

* * *

 The food was surprisingly tasty, however, the most entertaining thing was that the bar keep had offered her sake because of her samurai-like dressing and the katana she was carrying.

Smiling faintly, she picked up her chopsticks, fully intended to have a bit on one of those sauced Takoyaki. Just then, a peculiar chakra signature appeared in her mind's eye. Delicate hand reached for carved handle of her katana as the signature approaching the civilian town, the local tavern and... Sakura lifted her gaze from her dessert and watched, as a blond Kumo shinobi placed himself on the bench opposite her.

"It seems like you are in good health, _samurai-san_."

You'd better not calling me like that. Dark green pupils dilated at the words. Her unexpected guest was Kumo jōnin C. He was a sensor type shinobi, a ninjutsu master as well as a medical-nin, one of Raikage's bodyguards during the recent five Kage summit. Sakura knew him personally, for C and she had worked together as field medic three years ago.

"It's Oda, Oda Sakuya." The kunoichi said coolly, keeping her face as stoic as she could manage. "What brings you here, C?"

Apparently, C was not at all bothered by Sakura's coldness. The jōnin shrugged nonchalantly, pulling out a standard kunai to prick a octopus ball. "You won't believe me if I say I'm just passing by, will you?"

"No, but I sincerely hope you are not looking for me."

"Unfortunately so, Sakuya-san, Raikage-sama did sent me for you."

_Raikage has sent him out._

_Kumo is hunting me._

The idea that struck her felt like an ice pick slamming into her back. Why? Why were they trying to keep tag on her? What did Kumogakure want from her, a mere kunoichi on the run? Were they aware of the scrolls she possessed and now trying to rap them from her? And...

_HELL NO! I shall not die, not here, and definitely not now._

Sakura tightened her grip on her sword hilt. Her chakra was gradually awakened, surging through her veins, accumulating in her arms. Not that she suspected C of sudden attack, on the contrary, due to their previous collaboration; Sakura had ascertained the jōnin's self-discipline and unswerving loyalty towards his Kage and village, which had made him a thorny opponent if he had resolved to capture her.

The eerie silence between the two shinobi made C heave. He sat his kunai aside, wrapping it clean with a serviette before turning to the kunoichi directly. "I know you've been expelled, sorry to hear that." He said quietly, not wanting their conversation being heard by other customers. "As you see, Kumogakure wants to recruit you."

"Because I was Tsunade's apprentice?" Sakura replied sharply. C's words reminded her of Konan, and her confession when they first met. _Humph, I never know a little medical-nin can be this popular in the shinobi world..._

"Don't be so aggressive, for I haven’t finished my words yet. Why not listen to Kumo's offer patiently? I suppose you still treasured the days in the Force as well as I do."

 _He means my forehead protector. But how? I didn't wear it while escorting Mayumi and her husband._ The kunoichi mulled over C's words, trying hard to read between the lines. _There shouldn't be much people know the change, making my status impossible to get... Use your brain, Sakura-chan, use your brain and find out an explanation for his words._

And that damn tickling sensation reappeared after months of absence; nevertheless Sakura ignored it, for her brain had just fed her an explanation. _Oh good kami-sama, is he trying to say that I have being watched from day one?_

Her heart skipped a bit at the notion. Sakura tried to keep her voice steady when speaking, although she failed miserably because of a chocked out "Thanks".

 _Inhale, hold, count to ten, exhale._ She kept her mouth shut until the sense humiliating given by C's half sympathetic gaze was more or less unbearable, and then she whispered her answer. "Thank you, but no. I used to be Godaime Hokage's assistance, so it's inappropriate for me to join another shinobi village. However, your gesture is greatly appreciated."

C didn't reply at once, and when he began to speak, his facial expression betrayed nothing of his thought.

"When Raikage-sama asked me to recruit you, I foresaw your refusal. After all, the Slug Princess had been a tough kunoichi, and I can see that you had inherited her willpower." Then he paused, pulling a tiny genuine smile to the kunoichi in disguise. Though the faint curve hugging his lips was almost invisible, it reminded Sakura of her days fighting in the Allied Shinobi Force, of the joy and relief they field medics exchanged each time they brought a comrade back from the brink of death.

"This leads us to solution two. Decades ago, Kumo didn't treat Tsunade-sama as an adversary when she was out of Konoha; right now, the seniors in our village decide to take one step forward."

Sakura raised her pink eyebrows in silent curiosity. Once she calmed down, she had begun to suspect the real intention of Kumo, which was very unlikely to be killing her off. She was a little taken aback when C spoke again, albeit she had prepared herself for varies kinds of response.

"The time has changed. We have been fighting side by side in against a shared foe, bleeding and dying for a shared future. Now that the enemy was slain and post-war crises break out, Kumogakure no Sato is ready to face the uncertainty and to explore a new way for shinobi village..."

Sakura dared to say, judging from the absence of his aplomb look, that C was reciting a bureau document. His intonation has been perfected by constant practice. _Poor man, he must have read the material ten times or more!_

"Quit smirking. That's the first paragraph of Mabui's address. Every Kumo jōnin has to read it aloud every other day. It's for dissemination usage, but I'm not going to recite the whole text here." C murmured grimly, his black piercing eyes pined on Sakura until the kunoichi shook her head in agreement.

The kunoichi passed the blond jōnin some sake, her lips twitched as she imaging the usually reserved shinobi reading an inspiring text.

"We have three proposals for you, each will lead to mutual benefits. One, we will provide you a list of missing-nin and we shall double the bounty if you hand over any listed shinobi to Kumogakure, dead or alive. No time limit will be set, and you're free to choose whether to hunt down those criminals down or not—all we want is to reduce the likelihood our traitor becoming other villages' captivate.

"You being Tsunade-sama's pupil contribute to our second proposal. We require your support in poison and antidote making, as well as in shinobi tools supplement. As you can see, resources are running short after the war ended because the lack of manpower to produce them. However, you may produce some high-quality product between, humph, your flexible schedule. Never mind the quality issue, your high reputation and my medical knowledge can guarantee the trade going smoothly. As for the last proposal." C halted, refining his words then continued carefully. "Kumo may need you help if it has patient requiring intensive care, in exchange, we can reveal our medical knowledge partially to you, and the two of us can do some researches together..."

Sakura chuckled as his voice trailed away. "Is the last proposal from Kumogakure or from Kumo shinobi C?"

"From me, of course. If you decide to accept Kumo's offers, I will be the middleman between you and my village... You used to have plenty of researchers to turn to for academic talks, but imagine my annoyance when dealing with a project all alone."

"Oh my, that sounds horrible." Sakura commented kindly, removing her hand from her sword hilt.

_You see, things can take a turn to better._

The kunoichi told herself firmly as she called the waiter to add a few more dishes for C. From there on, their dialogue became less probing, mainly focused on their interest exchange. Sakura was not all surprised at the fact that the blond jōnin had been carrying the aforementioned list of missing-nin, and she quested teasingly if C preferred a Kumo-exclusive tag on the parcels.

"As much as I wish for that, it is unrealistic. But anyway, my village is now devoid of being torn up because of an angry kunoichi," C replied casually, wearing his iconic aplomb look. "I've to say goodbye now—it's getting late and Raikage-sama will kill me if I don't return to my village on time. I suppose your animal summons can find me, right?"

Sakura arched one pink eyebrow. "Yes... Kumo has sent you to run errands?"

"Don't mention it!"

* * *

_This is going to be helpful once I become a hunter-nin._ Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Sakura flipped through the handbook C had given her. It was actually a selection of Bingo Book, with detailed information on those targeted missing-nin. I'm so glad Kumo decides to spare me from their hunt-down list...

“Oda-san, your sake.”

A knocking at the door intruded her thought. Sakura furrowed when she saw a geisha entered her room with a tray of porcelain flasks.

_Hell... I don't drink!_

Emerald eyes narrowed. The geisha was suspicious, even when she was dressed in standard clothes and smelled like rouge... Wait, geisha and rouge?!

In a blink of an eye Sakura pinned the geisha to the floor. She knelt over the female, one hand gripping her wrists while the other pointing a chakra scalpel to the female throat.

"One wrong move then you’ll die." Sakura hissed, pressing the scalpel harder when the geisha struggled. She dropped her lids and felt the chakra patterns around. There was a faint trace of chakra a few miles eastward, but other areas were clear.

"You have backup, hum? Are your companions staying that far because they are sick of your transvestism, _master shinobi_?"


End file.
